Brooke
.
The full moon bathed the deck on the Thousand Sunny, creating an ethereal glow which bathed the crew sleeping soundly upon its grassy lawn. Empty bottles rolled around as crewmates slept in piles, exhausted from a night of Christmas celebration.
One crewmember remained awake, finding it difficult to get some shuteye (not that he had eyes to shut!). Instead, the ship musician Brooke played a lilting lullaby with his violin.
He observed his new crew as he played; enjoying their eccentricities as he remembered the night's festivities. The carefree captain was wrapped in a slumbering pile with his sniper and the head of the celebrations, the young reindeer. With Chopper's birthday being the day before Christmas, the ship was decked out in Christmas and birthday decorations and they had the party to end all parties. The reindeer was beside himself with happiness, between the gifts and the food and everything, so much so that he was too excited to go below deck when he grew tired. Him collapsing on deck was what led the rest of the crew to sleep there too.
Not too far away, laid out upon deckchairs, were the navigator and the archaeologist. Both Robin and Nami, being the most sensible crew members, had fashioned their seats into beds and had stayed curled up watching the stars whilst the more childish crewmates played games.
Sanji, the chivalrous cook, was curled up mere feet from the girls, protecting them even in slumber. Brooke was amused how even whilst he was sleeping, the cook remained true to his character.
The melody of his song shifted as he took view of the last two crewmembers. Franky, was sprawled out right in between the young boys and the more mature Sanji; himself being a perfect juxtaposition of the two. He wasn't sure he'd be able to get the image of the exuberant shipwright dancing provocatively in nothing but sea panties and a Santa hat out of his skull.
Hunched over at the side of the ship, not too far from Franky's arm, was Brooke's swordsman in arms. Like the girls, Zoro was more subdued in the night's festivities, enjoying quietly from the sidelines rather than jumping into the madness. But even the serious young man couldn't avoid the festive cheer; Brooke was almost certain that Zoro was awake when Luffy, Chopper and Usopp decided to decorate his green head like a Christmas tree.
The Lullaby faded as Brooke tried to remember his last Christmas with a crew. It had been so long ago, so many passed alone, slowly going insane on that dead, rotting ship, that the festive chorus of the Rhumbas seemed like a faded memory. But it was still there, and Brooke clung to it. It was those memories that got him around the world.
Striking up a new cord, Brooke smiled at the moon and begun a new.
Maybe next year, he could share all his Christmas memories with Laboon.
...